Starting Early (12th Precinct Castle Christmas FanFic Competition)
by TwelfthPrecinct
Summary: This is an entry for the 1st ever 12th Precinct Castle Christmas FanFic Competition. Author s pen name is: "AlwaysCastle"


**Starting Early**

Kate hummed in her sleep, a low, pleasurable vibration that carried throughout her warm, comfortable body, rousing Castle beside her. She wanted to get closer, fall deeper into him, snuggle so close she didn't know what was him and what was her.

Turning over onto her back, she smacked her lips, feeling his head slip from her neck to her clavicle. A smile spread across her face when he breathed out, the hot air licking at her bare skin, and she hummed once more, hands seeking his burning flesh.

But he did not wake.

Good, she thought, for once. Not usually her first idea when waking, but they both needed their sleep. And it was Christmas which meant they didn't have much longer.

Speaking of which...Kate strained her ears listening for the tell tale signs of other life. But she heard nothing, only the sound of the snow softly falling outside their windows. That winter wonderland blanketing the city in its splendor.

As much as she was excited about what this day would bring, she still wanted to relish the feel of his warm body next to hers, feel his excitement seep through his pores and ignite the magic within.

Her smile widened as she let her hands seek under the covers, coming out of the heat of their sheets and lifting a hand to find his face. She refused to open her eyes and see for herself what she knew to be there. The sleeping man beside her. She could feel him at her fingertips as they pressed to the corner of his eyes, wrinkles smoothed away by sleep.

She lingered, wanting to savor him as long as possible.

When her fingers drifted down to meet his stubbly cheek he breathed on her skin again, that ghost of a breath, heavy and feather light at the same time. Coasting over the planes of her hand, her heart.

Kate sighed, that excitable, waking, tingling rush of emotions, longing and sated wanting enveloping her in a tight embrace.

But then he started rubbing his face up and down as he moved lower, cheek smoothing along her hot skin. And when his nose brushed the side of her left breast, Kate opened her eyes and laughed.

"Faker." She told him, pinching the lobe of his ear between her fingers.

He chuckled low in his throat, a sound that sent that fluttering in her heart bursting in her chest, and she shifted closer. "Is it Christmas yet?" He asked, opening one eye.

She covered it, her lips pressing into his, warm and waiting, "Shhhhhh." She blew across his lips, burying her nose next to his, her own eyes sliding shut once more.

After a long moment, just breathing in the scent of him, her head came up off the pillow and she eyed the door. She heard it then. A giggle and the padding off tiny feet.

And then...

Ever so slowly, the door creaked open.

"Look what you did." Castle said, sighing heavily but smiling. He loved this part of Christmas. She did too, it's just she hoped they would hold off a little longer. Didn't expect it to be this early.

So early it was still dark outside, and the sun had barely started rising above the city. It's gentle rays peeking through the clouds, and their windows that were heavily adorned in twinkle lights. They cast a peaceful glow across the room, so relaxing and sprightly at the same time.

"Shh, close your eyes." She said, turning her head away from the door. Castle gave her an exaggerated wink and buried his head back in her shoulder. She could feel the giddiness floating its way through their room, that thick air of excitement that only made her heart fill to the brim.

Footsteps and giggles followed by a small stumble, joined the magical atmosphere. And then the bed began to dip, a heaviness descended on her, and the ever growing feeling that she was being watched.

Kate tried not to smile as she felt a tiny breath on her face. Hair tickling at her cheeks, and Castle shaking with silent laughter against her. Her eyes scrunched up, and Castle chuckled. Rumbling in his chest, against her skin and shaking the bed.

"Fakers." A small voice said, followed by an agreeing loud hum from the one close to her face. She could practically feel the vibration of those tiny lips.

Kate opened one eye, and was met with chocolate brown. So close she could see the dark outer ring of green, followed by prominent cheek bones and wisps of dark wavy hair.

Her cup runneth over.

"Wake up." The little girl whispered.

"Yea wake up!" The boy agreed pounding the bed with his bossy excitable fists.

The bed bounced and a "oomph!" was heard from the grumbling sleepy man next to her. "Alright, alright!" Castle laughed sitting up in bed and grabbing the other assailant, who giggled like mad, little arms flailing out and gripping at his father as he shrieked.

Kate wrapped her arms around the girl, who finally backed far enough away to allow at least some personal space, only to then be enveloped by her mother. "Morning my sweet girl." She said into her hair, breathing her in and welcoming the flutter of happiness in her chest.

"Morning mom." The girl mumbled into her mother's neck before they both looked over to see the littlest one still giggling like crazy as his father tickled him to death.

"Castle, you're going to kill the poor boy before breakfast." Kate scolded through her own fits of laughter, the girl circling her arms around her neck and pressing her cheek to Kate's.

"Can I have pancakes?!" The little boy asked, jumping to his feet after Castle finally let him up, and then stumbled into his father's shoulder.

"Of course! Now go get dressed." Kate squeezed her daughter one more time before dropping a kiss to her cheek.

"And then we can open presents!" Castle yelled over exuberantly.

The two answered with cheers of, "presents!" as they shook the entire mattress.

The girl slipped off the bed, the little boy falling to his knees and crawling to the edge to then be patted on the butt by his father before he bounded off and out the door.

"Alone at last." Castle said throwing an arm over Kate's stomach and dragging her to him.

"Don't get too comfortable." Kate murmured even as she sighed into his embrace.

"Aww Kate, you ruin all the fun." He teased, peppering her neck with open mouth kisses.

She sighed, "Mm don't do that..." She warned just as she heard a crash from the upstairs bathroom. "We don't have time for that this morning."

"Well." He said, continuing to shower her with kisses. "We'll have time later..."

"Mmm later." She nearly gave in, tipping her head back just a little, enough to give him just a small amount of access.

"Because, I was thinking... we could make a Christmas baby." He stopped for only a moment, eyes so pleading and excited, happy as he looked down at her.

Kate laughed, "You do realize." She said, trying to slip out of his grasp. "That in order to have a Christmas baby. We would have to start." Squeezing out, she nearly fell off the bed. "In March." She finished through a heavy breath, pushing her hair out of her face.

"Yea but... we can still practice till then right?" He asked, and when Kate didn't answer, only throwing him a smirk and following after their children, Castle sat up in bed, yelling out to her, "Right?!"


End file.
